Toss Won By: Pakistan
Batting First: Pakistan


The Zimbabwe openers, Johnson and G Flower are at the crease. akram is about to open the bowling for Pakistan.
The victory target for Zimbabwe is 272.

Zimbabwe faces a very tough victory target of 272 to win this match, considering the Pakistani bowling attack.
If Zimbabwe loses, the Indian hopes of reaching the semi finals will be dashed.
Over: 50               Score: 271 / 9   RRate: 5.42    
The Pakistani innings ends at 271 with some hitting by Saqlain.
Over: 50                                                            
Saqlain reverse sweeps Strang and picks up two runs.
Over: 49               Score: 263 / 9   RRate: 5.36    

Over: 49                                                            
It was Saqlain who took those two runs, as the batsmen had crossed when Afridi lofted his last shot.
Over: 49                                                            
Shoaib Akhtar is the last batsman in. Cuts and takes two runs.
Over: 49                                                            
Afridi made 37 runs.
Over: 49                                                            
Afridi is out. Caught at long off trying to hit Olonga for a six.
Over: 49                                                            
Afridi on 33 from 27 balls, as he hits Olonga for a four.
Over: 48               Score: 256 / 8   RRate: 5.33    
Just 12 more balls to go. Where will the pakistani total reach?
Over: 48                                                            
That is a six by Afridi over long on.
Over: 47               Score: 245 / 8   RRate: 5.21    
Just four runs from the Streak over. Saqlain on strike for the next over.
Over: 47                                                            
Saqlain takes a single off Streak's third ball, bringing Afridi to strike. Afridi plays dot ball.
Over: 47                                                            
Saqlain takes a single off Streak's third ball, bringing Afridi to strike. Afridi plays dot ball.
Over: 46               Score: 241 / 8   RRate: 5.23    
Just four runs off that Strang over.
Over: 45               Score: 236 / 8   RRate: 5.24    

Over: 45                                                            
Saqlain takes a single and gives strike to Afridi.
Over: 45                                                            
Pakistan 234 for 8 on 44.3 overs.
Over: 45                                                            
Very close. Heath bowled a no ball which hit saqlain on his foot plumb in from of stumps.
Over: 45                                                            
Afridi and Saqlain Mushtaq are now at the crease.
Streak is on a hattrick.
Over: 45                                                            
Razzak was clean bowled by Streak with a Yorker.
Over: 45                                                            
Pakistan has lost two more wickets in quick succession.
Pakistan 231 for 8.
Razzak gone for a duck.
Over: 44               Score: 231 / 6   RRate: 5.25    
Azhar and Afridi are running the singles.
Over: 44                                                            
Azhar Mehmood is the new man in.
Over: 44                                                            
Yes he is out. Sixth Pakistani wicket down at 228
Over: 44                                                            
Is Moin run out? Third umpire deciding.
Over: 43               Score: 226 / 5   RRate: 5.25    
Afridi spooned a catch, but wide of square leg.
Over: 43                                                            
Streak begings a fresh over. Afridi takes a single to cover, bringing Moin on strike.
Over: 43                                                            
Afridi has made 14 runs from 11 balls.
Over: 42               Score: 219 / 5   RRate: 5.21    

Over: 42                                                            
Afridi and Moin are running quick singles.
Over: 42                                                            
Paul Strang in the attack. dot ball to Moin.
Over: 41               Score: 213 / 5   RRate: 5.19    

Over: 41                                                            
That is a huge six over cover by Afridi, off Streak.
Over: 41                                                            
Moin takes a single off Heath Streak's first ball.
Over: 40               Score: 202 / 5   RRate: 5.05    

Over: 40                                                            
200 up for Pakistan. 63 balls left.
Over: 40                                                            
Olonga's no ball, was also a wide.
Over: 40                                                            
Afridi and Moin are running like deer to pick up the runs.
Over: 40                                                            
Olonga in the attack, with a misfield, Moin takes two runs.
Over: 39               Score: 195 / 5   RRate: 5    

Over: 39                                                            
Shahid Afridi is the new man in to join Moin Khan at the crease.
Over: 39                                                            
Pakistan 195 for 5.
Over: 39                                                            
Pakistan 195 for 5.
Over: 39                                                            
Akram is out, LBW Huckle for a duck.
Over: 38               Score: 194 / 4   RRate: 5.10    
Moin Khan is in, joins Akram. Both yet to open their accounts
Over: 38                                                            
Anwar made 103 from 144 balls.
Over: 38                                                            
Saeed anwar is out. He spooned a catch off Olonga high and the keeper, Andy Flower accepted the catch.
Over: 38                                                            
Saeed anwar is 101 not out from 140 balls.
Over: 38                                                            
That is Saeed anwar's 16th one day hundred with a lovely extra-cover drive.
Over: 38                                                            
Henry Olonga, who has given 16 runs from his 2 overs so far, is now in the attack.
Over: 37               Score: 186 / 3   RRate: 5.02    
Just 3 runs from the Huckle over.

Akram is the new man in. Swings at the first ball.strang, who got Inzemam's wicket, stumped.
Over: 36                                                            
Inzemam is out, the keeper first whipped off the bails without the ball, then picked up the ball and pulled out a stump. Meanwhile, inzemam, who had missed the delivery was a mere spectator.
Over: 35               Score: 180 / 2   RRate: 5.14    
Four byes, as ball beats batsman as well as keeper
Over: 35                                                            
Huckle continues, it is a double spin attack now.
Over: 34               Score: 170 / 2   RRate: 5    
Fine first over by Paul Strang, just two runs off it
Over: 34                                                            
Paul Strang, the spinner in the attack.
Over: 33               Score: 168 / 2   RRate: 5.09    
Just two runs from that Huckle over
Over: 33                                                            
The Anwar-Inzemam partnership is now worth 50 runs.
Over: 33                                                            
Huckle continues in the attack. Last two overs have brought only 6 runs for Pakistan.
Over: 32               Score: 166 / 2   RRate: 5.18    

Over: 31               Score: 163 / 2   RRate: 5.25    

Over: 30               Score: 160 / 2   RRate: 5.33    
Anwar is now in a very aggressive mood. Takes a boundary to deep mid wicket.
With twenty overs to go Pakistan has a 280 plus score in sight.
Over: 30                                                            
Grant Flower is now bowling, bowls a wide.
Over: 29               Score: 150 / 2   RRate: 5.17    

Over: 28               Score: 145 / 2   RRate: 5.17    
Anwar lifts Whittal over mid wocket for a four
Over: 27               Score: 140 / 2   RRate: 5.18    
Anwar glances Huckle very fine for four. Anwar is 66 not out from 100 balls
Over: 27                                                            
Anwar glances Huckle very fine for four.
Over: 27                                                            
Huckle continues in the attack. Three dot balls to Anwar.
Over: 26               Score: 135 / 2   RRate: 5.19    
Inzemam is running his singles with rare aplomp.
Pakistan is consolidating.
Over: 25               Score: 130 / 2   RRate: 5.2    

Over: 24               Score: 125 / 2   RRate: 5.20    
Anwar escaped a confident caught behind appeal
Over: 23               Score: 121 / 2   RRate: 5.26    

Over: 23                                                            
Leg spinner Huckle is in the attack. Anwar is hit on the thigh but takes a leg bye.
Over: 22               Score: 117 / 2   RRate: 5.31    

Over: 22                                                            
Inzimam, the new man in, almost plays on to Guy Whittal
Over: 22                                                            
Ijaz out for 5, Pakistan 116 for 2
Over: 22                                                            
Ijaz is run out. Anwar did not, rightly, run for the impossible single.
Over: 21               Score: 116 / 1   RRate: 5.52    

Over: 21                                                            
Wasti made 40 runs from 42 balls.
Huckle has been introduced in the bowling attack
Over: 20               Score: 106 / 1   RRate: 5.3    
Ijaz is new batsman in, hits a four to deep mid wicket off Olonga.
Over: 20                                                            
That is anwar's 50 from 74 balls.
Over: 20                                                            
Olonga bowls a wide to Anwar.
Over: 19               Score: 96 / 1   RRate: 5.05    


Wasti is finally out, caught Huckle in the deep on the off side, bowled Whittal for 40.
He earlier survived a caught behind when he actually nicked the ball, but stayed put at the crease.
Pakistan 95 for 1.
Over: 17                                                            
Wasti is not out 38 and Anwar is not out 32.
Over: 16               Score: 78 / 0   RRate: 4.87    
Pakistan now has a solid foundation on which to build a huge innings.
Over: 15               Score: 74 / 0   RRate: 4.93    
Cover drive by Wasti, ball rockets to the fence
Over: 15                                                            
Now Wasti cuts a deliberate four through the slips.
Over: 15                                                            
Wasti is on 29 from 32 balls.
Over: 15                                                            
Wasti steps back and pulls whittal for a six.
Over: 14               Score: 60 / 0   RRate: 4.28    
Though Pakistan has sixty runs on the board, the batting has been anything but confident.
Over: 14                                                            
Wasti slashes Mbangwa over slips, it lands short of third man.
Then Anwar lifts to deep cover, is almost caught
The Pakistani are leading a charmed existence
Over: 14                                                            
Johnson has not bowled because of a groin injury.
But he will be batting
Over: 13               Score: 57 / 0   RRate: 4.38    
Maiden over by Guy Whittal
Over: 13                                                            
Grant Flower almost took an impossible diving catch at cover point, but Saeed Anwar was lucky
Over: 13                                                            
guy whittal has been introduced in the bowling attack
Over: 13                                                            
guy whittal has been introduced in the bowling attack
Over: 13                                                            
if pakistan wins this match, it can ensure that india does not make it to the semi finals. that would be the ideal outcome for pakistan
Over: 12               Score: 57 / 0   RRate: 4.75    

Over: 11               Score: 54 / 0   RRate: 4.90    

Over: 11                                                            
Handsome shot by Wasti over mid-off for a four.
Over: 11                                                            
Wide ball from Streak brings up Pakistan's fifty.
Over: 11                                                            
Wide ball from Streak brings up Pakistan's fifty.
Over: 11                                                            
Now Wasti edges uppishly wide of second slip for four.
Over: 10               Score: 45 / 0   RRate: 4.5    
Just two runs from that Mbangwa over.
Over: 9               Score: 43 / 0   RRate: 4.77    
Wasti glances Streak's last ball of the over for a four.
Over: 9                                                            
Wasti is on 9 from 15 balls.
Over: 8               Score: 34 / 0   RRate: 4.25    
Good over from Mbangwa.
Over: 8                                                            
Mbangwa has a short cover for Anwar.
Anwar cuts and is dropped at first slip. Straight catch to Camnpbell.
Over: 7               Score: 31 / 0   RRate: 4.42    
Six runs from the Streak over.
Over: 7                                                            
Now a leg side wide by Streak. The Zimbabwe bowlers are having this huge problem of wides.
Over: 7                                                            
Saeed Anwar has lifted Streak over mid on for a four.
Over: 6               Score: 25 / 0   RRate: 4.16    
Steady over again from Mbangwa. Two runs from it.
Over: 5               Score: 23 / 0   RRate: 4.6    
Just two runs from the streak over
Anwar is 14 runs from 23 balls
Over: 4               Score: 21 / 0   RRate: 5.25    
Just two runs from the over, including one wide.
Over: 4                                                            
Now Mbangwa bowls a leg side wide.
Over: 4                                                            
Mbwangwa seems to have found his line. Four dot balls to Anwar.
Over: 3               Score: 19 / 0   RRate: 6.33    
Five runs off the streak over. Pakistan off with a brisk start.
Over: 3                                                            
That is the fourth wide of the innings already, by Streak.
Over: 2               Score: 14 / 0   RRate: 7    
Anwar cover drives Mbangwa's last ball for a four.
Over: 2                                                            
Anwar has lofted Mbangwa for four over square leg.
Over: 2                                                            
Anwar has lofted Mbangwa for four over square leg.
Over: 2                                                            
Mbangwa bowls second over, begins with wide ball
Over: 1               Score: 5 / 0   RRate: 5    

Over: 1                                                            
Anwar takes a single to cover, first run off the bat in the 4th ball
Over: 1                                                            
Now streak bowls a leg side wide to Anwar
Over: 1                                                            
Pakistan's first run comes through an off side wide by streak.
Over: 1                                                            
A score of 240 plus by Pakistan is being reckoned a good total.
Over: 1                                                            
Heath Streak bowling first over to Saeed Anwar

The Zimbabwe fielders are taking the field.
Saeed Anwar and Wajahatullah Wasti have gone to the crease.

If Pakistan loses this match, it will be stranded at 4 match points, something that India can reach by defeating New Zealand on the morrow, and the net run rate will decide the matter.

Zimbabwe needs to win this match to guarantee its place in the semi finals, rather than wait for two days and watch the results of the India-Newzealand and Australia-South Africa matches.

Pakistani sjipper Wasim Akram won the toss and decided to bat.
Wasti and afridi are in the Pakistani team, but Salim Malik is out. The crucial Super six encounter between Zimbabwe and Pakistan is to take place at the Oval, London, shortly. Pakistan would like to win this match to get into the semi finals. Zimbabwe would like to win it to eliminate the off-chance of it not making the semi finals.
The match will be avidly watched by Indian fans,for, India's qualification depends on the result.